Late professor Mills intervention led to the establishment our medical school-UDS Principal reveals
Authorities at the University for Development Studies (UDS) have expressed their profound gratitude to the late former president John Evans Atta Mills for his enormous support and interest to ensuring that UDS get medical school.
The university says it is happy to be part of the Atta Memorial lecture for several reasons; he was a former president, secondly, as an academic institution, it was recognized as more of an intellectual than a politician and more importantly he was instrumental in the establishment of UDS medical school.
The university says the late professor Mills had visionary support for the establishment of UDS medical school which has produced over 840 medical doctors.
The medical school before the intervention of Professor Mills according to UDS authorities was carrying its clinical training at University of Ghana medical school and Kwame University of Science and Technology with enormous financial cost and travelling risk to both students and lecturer.
The late president Mills after assuming office, the university say did not only continue renovation and expansion work of the regional hospital but also ensure that the hospital was equipped and upgraded it to a status of Teaching hospital.
Speaking at the maiden John Evans Atta Mills Memorial heritage lecture at the school’s multipurpose auditorium in Tamale, Principal of Nyakpala campus of UDS, Professor George Nyarko on behalf of the vice chancellor stated that the late president intervened by authorizing and recruiting adequate personnel for the medical school to enhance human resources.
The lecture is on the theme; ‘‘The Man John Evans Atta Mills-Ten Years On’’
The medical school today Professor Nyarko said, is the only Ghana school in the country that has accepted to train returnees continuing medical students from Ukraine.
The late former president Atta Mills did not only ensure the medical school gets on its, he bequeathed a four-story hostel facility to ease accommodation challenges. ‘‘The UDS didn’t have an opportunity to honor him for his contribution; I wish to assure the John Atta Mills Memorial heritage that the university door is perpetual open to support whenever it calls upon’’, professor Nyarko assured.
The medical school is ten years old this year since its establishment and it coincided with the ten years demise of the late president Mills.
The coincident professor Nyarko said symbolizes the in-twin relationship between the medical school of UDS and the commemoration of professor Mills. The school he added is intrinsically connected to immortalizing the good will of former John Evans Atta Mills.
Board Chairman of John Evans Atta Mills Memorial Heritage, Mr Alex Segbefia said after three and half years in office as president, since the inception of the 4th republic, he died in office and left fear of God, patience, tolerance, sisterly and brotherly love for one another among other principles the late President Mills stood for.
The John Evans Memorial Heritage Mr Segbefia explained was birthed and duly incorporated on 14th 2021 as a company limited by guarantee. A book containing lectures of the various speakers was bought by National Democratic Congress members of parliament with an amount of GHC 25,000.
Former president John Evans Atta Mills became president of the republic of Ghana in 2009 after three attempts for the position of the number one gentleman of the land. He died on 24th of July 2012.
